Thoughts are a SYMPTOM
What just happened? We sit, dumbfounded, that whatever just happened, actually happened. Our "minds race" with in-the-moment messages; how did this just happen, what is the damage, am I injured, is the world still what I thought it was, what else is going to happen, what is next?
Sometimes our thoughts, or inner dialog, simply narrates our experiences.
Sometimes our thoughts lead us to insights.... more on this one later....
ALL of our thoughts are related to how we feel (emotionally). Sometimes it is dangerous to make statements that include the word "all", but in this case, it is True -with a capital "T".
Think about it (ha!). I've got you feeling curious, or skeptical, or maybe it resonates with you as the awareness washes over you.
Our thoughts are necessarily connected with our emotional state, and therefore, I submit that they are always going to be rooted in how we feel about what we are experiencing.
I've asked this before, but it is a fabulous example, so I'll use it again: when was the last time someone you loved and were so excited to see dropped by your house and you...slammed the door in their face?
Never, right? Because when you are happy to see someone, you don't slam doors in their faces!
Now think on this one, and it actually happened to me: a friend called to wish me a happy birthday when I was turning 20 or 21. I had been sick for months already, something she didn't know, and I had just gotten into a huge argument with my boyfriend. When the phone rang and I saw her name show up on my caller ID, for as much as I wanted to be so happy that she was calling, I was a wreck from what my life had been, so when I answered the phone and she said, "it is SO good to hear your voice!" My response went something like, "whats so good about it? Life is trying to kill me...." Hmmmm.
I was completely unable to rise above how crappy I was feeling, both physically and emotionally, that I couldn't receive the love that she was trying to share with me.
She never called me on my birthday - ever again....
I didn't know then what I know now.
I didn't know that I would be able, one day, to shift -- not to compartmentalize, not to stuff or repress, not to ignore it, but to SHIFT when I need to, so that my emotional baggage doesn't hurt others; so that I can maintain my ability to function optimally; so that I can deal with whatever it is that life is throwing at me without making things worse.
Yeah, sometimes when we are in an emotional place, we actually make things worse in our lives. We upset someone, we miss something, we misdirect our language, we ignore what needs to be tended to, and we do it all on automatic. We "feel" our way through it and, we all know that in the end, we will have to make due with whatever the fallout is and hope that the people who know and love us most will be understanding...and that is just the way that life IS as emotional creatures living in community...right?
Wrong!
At least it CAN be wrong, if you know what I know.... :D
Thoughts are a symptom, letting us know that our emotional process has been turned on. Our emotional process getting turned on is a whole other situation.
Want to know the biggest secret of them all? Our emotions aren't what we think they are, either!!
Think about this!
Our emotions are INFORMATION. They are telling us that some core belief of ours has been challenged! Ok, let's get serious about this. Obviously, if you're feeling something on the "positive" side of the emotional spectrum, your core beliefs are being validated, legitimized, even confirmed!
If you're feeling something on the "negative" side of the emotional spectrum, your core beliefs are under attack, your understanding of something is in question, your way of being is being bombarded by contrary information and it does NOT feel good.
But what if you could recognize that your thoughts are simply telling you that something is going on with your beliefs?
What if you could recognize that how you feel (emotionally) is simply an indicator that the situation, environment, or person you are dealing with is not BAD, per se, simply not in harmony with your accepted version of yourself?
Is that a relief?
It isn't simple, trying to understand how humans function together in this world, but it isn't as complicated as some would like us to believe.
The most basic question that always falls from my mouth is this: who is responsible for MY emotional wellbeing?
And the answer is: Me.
I am responsible for my emotional wellbeing, even when someone cuts me off on the road, breaks the rules to get an edge over me, says something wholly unkind to me, treats me like I'm not important, or any number of external things that life will inevitably throw at me.
And you are responsible for yours. So, wouldn't it be nice if you had the step-by-step instructions to make that easier?
There is a common saying in the holistic world: Having information does not equal behavior change! And it is so true! What DOES equal behavior change? Having information + supportive guidance from someone who really understands the subject matter.
If you are ready to learn the easiest, fastest, and most impressive data-driven skills that will get YOU in control of your thoughts, emotions and behaviors, make the call today.